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A Birthday To Remember

A Birthday To Remember

In the month of January, beginning February, I had set out to planning Oliver’s sixth birthday! Despite the disbelief that he was about to be six years old, I wanted to finally have a party where he could invite his friends from school.

Booking a really cool indoor play place, all we had to do was wait for the day!

Unfortunately, that is around the time this virus hit our country and essentially sending us into a spiral that ended up in state-wide lockdown. I had no idea that it would last long enough that I had to make the decision to cancel the booking and start formulating a new plan. But how does one plan a party on lockdown? Let alone for a soon to be six-year-old who doesn't quite understand what is happening in the world....

I decided with the help of a few viral videos, to try and get a drive-by parade set up for him! I contacted the local police department, which is located directly behind our complex, and crossed my fingers for a reply. To my surprise, the Chief responded with as much excitement as I had hoped for. He told me to give him the date and time, and he would take care of the rest.

Little did I know, the length he would go for my little boy.

On April 11th, I set out with my little family of five on a scavenger hunt. Oliver had no idea what was in store, and honestly, neither did I. At around 11am our scavenger hunt led us to the back gate, right where we needed to be. With butterflies in his stomach, Oliver voiced how nervous he was for this “big surprise”. A few moments later, I could see the start of the parade coming our way!

It began with Law enforcement vehicles, which included ambulances and fire trucks new and old. The Chief has also reached out to a local JEEP club as well as Oliver’s school and ensured that whoever wanted to join the fun, could.

With over 50 cars in line, it sure was a sight to see. I believe there was not a dry eye in sight! The parade had even managed to bring out many of the fellow residences from the complex outside to see what was going on.

I could not, and can never express the amount of joy and gratefulness I have for this gesture done by the Hewitt PD. They honestly brought a day to my son, that he will never forget!

Firefly Blog

Real life stories, issues and experiences of day to day life by special needs parents and
healthcare professionals.

Brittney Baumgartner

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Mother to 3 boys, who are getting older by the second. Married to my best friend, Aaron. Living life day by day, in this rambunctious yet blessed household.

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